Ontario Construction News staff writer
The provincial government has announced funding for infrastructure projects in small communities to help them improve the quality of their drinking water.
Eligible municipalities, First Nation communities and Local Services Boards can now apply in the second intake of the Green Infrastructure stream. The current application intake opened July 13 to 408 eligible municipalities with populations under 100,000, 127 First Nations and eight Local Services Boards with eligible drinking water infrastructure assets.
Eligible applicants will have up to eight weeks with a deadline of Sept. 9 to submit applications for provincial review and nomination to the federal government through the .
The Green Stream is part of the joint federal and provincial Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP). Up to $240 million in joint federal and provincial funding is available for this intake, including $110 million from the Ontario government.
“The people of Ontario need and deserve reliable and safe drinking water,” said Kinga Surma, Ontario’s minister of infrastructure. “The first intake of the Green Infrastructure Stream was heavily over subscribed. We heard the demand for more investments in drinking water infrastructure in small communities, and we are taking action to support residents living in those communities.”
Across the province, projects must address critical health and safety needs in communities by making local drinking water infrastructure safer and more reliable.
“Federal funding through the Green Infrastructure Stream will support community projects such as clean energy, energy efficient retrofits, and waste-water upgrades,” said Catherine McKenna, minister of infrastructure and communities.
The Green Infrastructure Stream follows federal guidelines to support the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions or enable greater adaptation and resilience to the impacts of extreme weather and disaster mitigation. It also helps ensure communities have clean air and safe drinking water for everyone.